Lady Chaps extend win streak to eight

Lubbock Christian University didn’t appear poised for a takeoff right around Thanksgiving. Aside from having lost three players to season-ending knee injuries, the Lady Chaparrals started with a 2-3 record.

Ever since, LCU has looked like its typical national tournament-bound self.

“Our team chemistry is awesome on and off the court,” said senior forward April Ehlers, who scored 17 points. “We’re very unselfish, and we always want someone else to step up and do good. We pass the ball really well. We’ve definitely faced adversity this year, but I think we’ve handled it in a mature way so far.”

Junior center Kelsey Canavan, the former South Plains College standout, scored a season-high 22 points. Ehlers’ 17 was a career high, not counting a 21-point performance in an exhibition game 10 days ago, and freshman guard Nicole Hampton posted her third straight double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.

The Lady Chaps committed only eight turnovers and led by as many as 26 points twice in the second half — against a team that started the season 11-0.

“I told them after the game, I’m just thankful for the type of team they are,” LCU coach Steve Gomez said. “That’s a good opponent. St. Gregory’s is a good team. To play four games in seven days, with sort of a short bench, for them to continue to execute and play smart and play as hard as they did, a lot of credit goes to those kids.”

Aside from center Courtney Wilson and guards Haley Burton and Blair Taylor being out for the year, backup center Amanda Perry has been sidelined since Christmas with a sprained ankle. That’s left the team with only nine available players, but lately it hasn’t mattered.

LCU is averaging 79 points per game during the eight-game win streak. In four of the previous five games, the Lady Chaps had five double-figure scorers.

“We’re playing so much better than I thought we would at the beginning of the season,” Canavan said. “We played some tough opponents at the beginning. I think that really helped us prepare for now, and now we’re clicking really well and playing well together.”

LCU will have as much momentum as possible going into a showdown for the SAC lead Thursday at No. 1 Oklahoma City (14-0, 8-0).

St. Gregory’s (11-3, 4-3) lost its third in a row since the 11-0 start, but the Lady Cavaliers’ other two losses were by one and five points.

SGU, a perennial doormat that went 7-22 last year, was picked last in the 12-team SAC. But Lady Cavs coach Kelly Archer said he thinks a top-four showing is a realistic goal, even after Saturday.

“This is the first time we’ve really got our butts kicked,” said Archer, a Texas Tech graduate. “It’s kind of new for the kids, so they’ll learn. We’re going to grow. I feel good. We’re going to mature and get better, I promise you.”

One big run in each half made the difference for the Lady Chaps. LCU made the score 30-15 with a 15-0 run in the first half and made it 66-40 with a 21-5 run in the second half. Ehlers contributed five points, including a 3-point goal, to each of the runs.

The senior from Cooper is known more for solid all-around play than deadly shooting. Coming in, she was averaging 8.1 points and was 9-for-27 from 3-point range.

“I always get told, ‘If you’re open, shoot,’” she said. “I know I could pass it to the open girl, but today I felt like I wanted to step up and make shots.”